Rope-clamp.



- screw to provide sufiicient friction of the leerlo-n the l5A care of it.

' same, and it is capable of being used for any purpose for which a tight and rigid hold .on

t, against the clamp members is almost entirely 4inter osed between the wedges and clamp LEONARD D4 SHRYOCK, OF MARETTA, OHI.

Ipijn)en ener/rr.

vno. 575,121;

Speceation of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 31', 1907.

i Application filed february 13. 1907. Serial No. 357,194.

Marietta, in the county of lNashington and l State of Uhio, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Rope-Clamps, of which the following is a specificationf My invention` relates to an improvement in 'rope clamps, andv the object is to provide a clamp which will securely hold a wire cable when the same is used for drilling oil, gas and Artesian wells, well as cleaning ont the the piece of wire rope is necessary.

in the ordinary clamp used inthe art of well drilling with a manila cable, two plain clamp members are pressed against a wrapped portion of the cable at the desired point by means of a G-screw. This device answers well for a manila cable, but for a wire cable snflicient pressure cannot be brought upon the clamp members with a clamp members npon the cable. To overcome this defect taper wedges have been inserted between the cable and the clamp members, one face of each wedge being grooved to fit the cable and the other face dove-tailed to fit Aa corresponding dovetail in the clamp member. The clamp membersare set up as tight as possible with the screw, and as the load on the cable increases the wedges are supposed to slip down and automatically grip the cable tighter, but it is easily seen that, as the pressure on the back of the slip is the same as on the side next to the'cable, and consequently the friction the same on both, the cable is just as liable to slip f through the grooved face of the wedge 'as the wedgesare to slip down on the clamp members and tighten on the cable. This objection is in a small degree overcome by lubricating the portions of the wedges resting against theelamp members. This is only a makeshift method, however, and very unsatisfactory.

In my invention the friction ofthe wedges overcome by means of anti-friction devices mem ers, and consequently .the wedges chng tothe clamp members and the greater the rope the tighter the grip to take With the foregoing objects in view, my

improved clamp may be applied with one roller bearing grooved wedge and a plain grooved clamp member, or with a roller bearing grooved wedge on each clamp member as desired.

My invention further consists in certain novel features of construction, and combi nations of parts which will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In. the accompanying drawings :M--Figure l is a view in perspective of one form of my clamp. Fig, .2 is a transverse section of the same. Fig. 3 is a side vicw partly in section. Fig. 4 is a View of a slightly different construction. Fig. 5 is a transverse sc'ction therethrough. Fig. 6 is a vertical section.

Fig. 7 is a transverse section, Fig, 5 is a longitudinal section, Fig. l) is a sectional view ol' the jaw, and Figs. 1U and ll are details.

A, represents a jaw which is approximately C-shaped, in general outline. Two clamp members l andv 2 are held in the jaw A by means of a swiveled block 3 adapted to be held against the clamp members by means of a screw a. These clamp, members may bc variously constructed and l have shown two different forms of clamp members.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the inner faces ol` both clam members are provided with dovetailer grooves 4, ill, which grooves taper, they being deep atthc top and shallow at the lower ends of the clamp members. The slid- -ing wedges 5, 5, are littcd to these grooves. .ln the bottoms of th'e grooves the races (j, (i,

'are formed. to receive either rollers or balls 7, 7, interposed between the clamp members and wedges whereby to a'l'l'ord anti-friction means botweenthc wedges and clamp members. When balls'arc used to eliminate the friction, 'the races are round, whereas when rollers are employed, they are (lat. The clamping faces of these wedges are groovcd as at8, 8, to receive and clamp the cable 9. Stops l0 are formed at the lower ends of the clamp members to pre-vent the wedges from descending beyond that point. 'lhe pegs or pins 11, 1l., sustain the weight ofthe balls or rollers and prevent their displncementl at the lower ends, and elevate. the balls or rollers when the wedgcsarc raised. Bolts l2, l2, are screwed into the upper ends of the wedges to hold the latter in position while tightening up the clamp members. These bolts also prevent the balls or rollers from dropping ont of their places when the clamp is not in use',

and the wedges are at their cwest position on the sto s 10, the top of the wedges being below the llug 13 on. the clamp member.

In Figs. 4, 5, and 6, one bers is grooved to receive the cablle c irectly there against. ThelA grooved face of yone wedge cooperates with the groove of the .clamp member. In other words, the two eonstructions merely differ in the duplication 'of the wedges.

When the parts are assembled and in operative position, the clamp members are held in position in the' jaw by means of one or more studs 1S in the jaw projecting into the of the clam memholes-,lQ which are larger than the pins so that they are in reality pivotally sustained "andlby reason of the dove-tailed grooves be-4 ing' of' greater depth at the top than at the bottom, and the, ta ering form of the wedges, the clamping `acesof the latter maintain a parallelism at' all times, thus grip ping the cableuniformly. throughout their the required pressure of the rope or cable` clamp member for entirel length, G and 4py reason of the wedgeshaped formation the greater the lifting strain upon the cable, vthe tighter is the clamping action thereupon and the friction instead of being between the wedge or wedges and the clamp member or clamp members is all against the cable, by reason of the anti-friction packing which the wedge or wedges have. This clamp member is only intended for a wire cable, as it is impracticable for the ordinary manila rope or cable.

One or both wedges are provided with an index mark as at 15 on their exposed side, to correspond with graduations 17 on the a given sized cable so that the wedges may be instantly set at the proper point for the different sizes of cable within the capacity of the clamp member. lt mayl be mentioned that the wedges when thus set to graduations for a given size of rope or cable', will permit them to travel. down to the end of the stops which will give without injuring it. A positive stop is not only formed at the bottom but also at the top as at 13 against which the balls or rollers are forced when the wedge or wedgesare elevated to their highest position.

From the 'foregoing it will be seen thatI haye provided a simple and powerful mechanism for clamping a drill or other rope or cable, yit being so constructed that 'it autoinatically grips the rope or cable as strain is applied thereto, holding it tighter as .the weight or strain thereupon increases. At

the same time, it is a device which is capable of being easily released, adjusted, assembled,

or dismemb'ere'd, as occasion may require.

It is kevident that slight changes might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the several parts described within the scope of the appended claims, Without departing from the spirit and scope/lof myi invention,

, 1n position when 'name to this specification in the and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exact construction herein set forth, but:

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The combination with clamp members and a wedge, of a cable against which the wedge bears with frietional contact and anti-frictional devices between the back of the wedge and clamp member whereby the compressibility of the cable with the frictional contact of the wedge thereagainst and the 'anti-frictional engagement on the opposite side of the wedgecauses a firm engagement-of the cable.

, 2. A clamp for ropes or cables comprising a jaw, a pair of clamp members, one at least of which of varying depth from one end Wedge fitted to the groove, anti-riction devices interposed between the bottom of the groove and the adjacent surfaces of the wedge, stops for limiting the upward and downward movement ot the wedge, and means for preventing the displacement of the anti-friction devices at either end of the clamp member.

3. A clamp for ropes or cables, comprising a jaw, clamp members held therein, one at least of which clamp members is provided with a sliding wedge, anti-friction devices interposed between the Wedge and the clamp member, and a bolt attached to' the wedge whose primary function is to hold the saine the clamp members are being tightened, said bolt having the secondary function of protecting the anti-friction devices from displacement when the clamp is not in use, and the wedges are aty their lowest position. y l, f

4. A clamp for ropes or cables comprising a jaw, clamp members pivotally held therein, and a sliding wedge in one at least of said clamp members.

5. A clamp for ropes or cables comprising a jaw, clamp members havinggrooves on their inner faces, and wedges fitted to said grooves, anti-friction devices between the wedges and clamp members, and means on the clamp vmembers and wedges to prevent the anti-friction devices from becoming dis.m placed.

6. A clamp for ropes or cables com rising a j aw, clamp members pivotally held tlierein, a sliding wedge in one at least of said clamp 'members and anti-friction devices between the clamp and wedge.

In testimony whereof I' have signed my presence vof two subscribm witnesses. L

oNARn n snarocn. Witnesses W. Strass, J. .l Lnmncnna.

is provided with a dove-tailed groove. 

